Nicholls, Fletcher prepare for remedial cuts

Published: Monday, October 15, 2012 at 5:23 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, October 15, 2012 at 5:23 p.m.

With Nicholls State University set to remove remedial classes by 2014, local high schools and community colleges are preparing ways to help students who might be affected.

The school offers classes to help students who lag in certain basic subjects taught in high school, such as math or English. But the University of Louisiana System, which includes Nicholls, implemented a rule that all schools eliminate those classes by 2014.

Some schools have already cut such classes — the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, for example, got rid of the classes this year.

Nicholls Executive Vice President Larry Howell said the move is just one part of a series of changes designed to bump up graduation rates, something state leaders have strongly pushed for over the past few years.

The 2010 LA GRAD Act, for example, allows universities to raise tuition only if they meet certain performance goals, which include graduation rates.

To meet those goals, Nicholls has steadily increased its entry requirements over the past few years. Since first implementing admissions standards in 2005, the school has gradually required better grade point averages and more rigorous high school classes.

Increasing standards means some students won’t be able to start at Nicholls right away. But the school has already arranged with Fletcher Technical Community College to create a Fletcher at Nicholls program to pick up some of that slack.

Fletcher Chancellor Travis Lavigne said the program puts Fletcher teachers on the Nicholls campus to teach remedial classes.

“If you have a student who just needs one class of remedial credit, they can get it right there on campus,” Lavigne said. “We’ve set it up so that it’s as convenient as possible.”

Besides the Fletcher at Nicholls program, the two schools have spent the past few years making it easier for students to transfer credits.

“If there’s a student who wants to work their way up to a degree at Nicholls but needs some work to get there, we want to serve that kind of student,” Lavigne said. “We would encourage them to come to Fletcher, take some remedial classes and some other courses. And then, once they’re prepared to go to Nicholls, they can do the transfer.”

The cooperation between Fletcher and Nicholls has earned high praise from state officials, from Gov. Bobby Jindal to Superintendent of Education John White. Terrebonne Parish School Superintendent Philip Martin echoed that praise.

“Those two schools have, in my opinion, the best relationship in the state,” Martin said. “I think that’s a huge advantage for our students.”

Martin said the arrangement is good for students because it gives them more flexibility and opportunities. But he said school counselors and teachers are going to have to work with students to make sure they’re making the right decision.

“You have to really sit down and think about what’s best for each student,” Martin said. “If there’s a student who maybe didn’t do everything they had to do a few years ago but really wants to buckle down and do the work right now, you have to really sit down and think about whether it might be a good idea for them to start at Fletcher and ease into it.”

Some parents and students said they wish Nicholls would keep its remedial courses.

“That will mean the loss of a few future students, I’m sure, and it alienates the non-traditional/older people wanting to go to college,” wrote Debbie Tabor-Gros on Facebook. “Switching schools is such a hassle.”

Others say they like the new set-up.

“I think it’s a great idea. Going to community college to settle prerequisites for university is the basic structure for most higher education institutions around the country,” wrote Julie Ledet. “I think it will greatly improve the level of education at NSU if we keep standards for higher education rather than teaching at the level of our least advanced student.”

Staff Writer Matthew Albright can be reached at 448-7635 or at matthew.albright@dailycomet.com.

<p>With Nicholls State University set to remove remedial classes by 2014, local high schools and community colleges are preparing ways to help students who might be affected.</p><p>The school offers classes to help students who lag in certain basic subjects taught in high school, such as math or English. But the University of Louisiana System, which includes Nicholls, implemented a rule that all schools eliminate those classes by 2014. </p><p>Some schools have already cut such classes — the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, for example, got rid of the classes this year.</p><p>Nicholls Executive Vice President Larry Howell said the move is just one part of a series of changes designed to bump up graduation rates, something state leaders have strongly pushed for over the past few years.</p><p>The 2010 LA GRAD Act, for example, allows universities to raise tuition only if they meet certain performance goals, which include graduation rates.</p><p>To meet those goals, Nicholls has steadily increased its entry requirements over the past few years. Since first implementing admissions standards in 2005, the school has gradually required better grade point averages and more rigorous high school classes.</p><p>Increasing standards means some students won't be able to start at Nicholls right away. But the school has already arranged with Fletcher Technical Community College to create a Fletcher at Nicholls program to pick up some of that slack.</p><p>Fletcher Chancellor Travis Lavigne said the program puts Fletcher teachers on the Nicholls campus to teach remedial classes.</p><p>“If you have a student who just needs one class of remedial credit, they can get it right there on campus,” Lavigne said. “We've set it up so that it's as convenient as possible.”</p><p>Besides the Fletcher at Nicholls program, the two schools have spent the past few years making it easier for students to transfer credits. </p><p>“If there's a student who wants to work their way up to a degree at Nicholls but needs some work to get there, we want to serve that kind of student,” Lavigne said. “We would encourage them to come to Fletcher, take some remedial classes and some other courses. And then, once they're prepared to go to Nicholls, they can do the transfer.”</p><p>The cooperation between Fletcher and Nicholls has earned high praise from state officials, from Gov. Bobby Jindal to Superintendent of Education John White. Terrebonne Parish School Superintendent Philip Martin echoed that praise.</p><p>“Those two schools have, in my opinion, the best relationship in the state,” Martin said. “I think that's a huge advantage for our students.”</p><p>Martin said the arrangement is good for students because it gives them more flexibility and opportunities. But he said school counselors and teachers are going to have to work with students to make sure they're making the right decision.</p><p>“You have to really sit down and think about what's best for each student,” Martin said. “If there's a student who maybe didn't do everything they had to do a few years ago but really wants to buckle down and do the work right now, you have to really sit down and think about whether it might be a good idea for them to start at Fletcher and ease into it.”</p><p>Some parents and students said they wish Nicholls would keep its remedial courses. </p><p>“That will mean the loss of a few future students, I'm sure, and it alienates the non-traditional/older people wanting to go to college,” wrote Debbie Tabor-Gros on Facebook. “Switching schools is such a hassle.”</p><p>Others say they like the new set-up.</p><p>“I think it's a great idea. Going to community college to settle prerequisites for university is the basic structure for most higher education institutions around the country,” wrote Julie Ledet. “I think it will greatly improve the level of education at NSU if we keep standards for higher education rather than teaching at the level of our least advanced student.”</p><p>Staff Writer Matthew Albright can be reached at 448-7635 or at matthew.albright@dailycomet.com.</p>